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Darth Maul's (Ray Park) lightsaber hilt from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace with two blade replicas. Darth Maul wielded his unforgettable double-bladed lightsaber during his climactic "Duel of the Fates" battle against Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in the Theed Palace on Naboo.

Darth Maul was skilled in the ways of the dark side, creating his own saberstaff as his signature weapon. Although the double-bladed lightsaber was first seen on screen in The Phantom Menace, it originated in the comic book series Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Though originally designed to be shorter, Park personally requested a lengthier saber to help him perform the acrobatic spins and dueling flourishes for which the Dathomirian Zabrak is today known.

The Phantom Menace, the first new Star Wars film in 16 years and the first to be directed by Lucas since the original 1977 film, was one of the most highly anticipated films of all time and broke box office records upon release. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards®: Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

This double-ended dueling hilt, one of the most ornately and precisely detailed examples known to exist, is finished to a higher standard than most other surviving Darth Maul sabers. It originated from a crew member and is constructed from resin with machined steel end washers cast around M10 threaded rods on each end and an internal steel core for weight and strength. The threaded rods allowed for installation of aluminum blades that were used for dueling sequences and replaced frequently as they were damaged on set.

The hilt is intricately finished in silver-color with shades of dark gray to lend depth to the detailing throughout, including the two ribbed hand grips and parts of the blade-emitter plate. Metallic red activator buttons and control lock buttons span the hilt's length, and there are three incorporated black rubber O-rings. Also prominent are its button knurling and four domed points painted red, each an extremely rare detail indicating that the hilt was cast early during production.

Also included are two red replica "shorty" blades based directly on the production originals and designed to mount to the rods in the same manner. Though the hilt's casting is exceptionally clean, the lot exhibits minor flaking paint, exposing the resin in places, and cracking on the rubber O-ring, grime in the end caps, and minor nicking throughout from production use.Dimensions: 30.5" x 2.5" x 2.5" (77.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 6.5 cm)

Estimate: $40,000 - 80,000

View all lots from STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)

View all lots from STAR WARS - ALL ITEMS